Martha Ann Raymer

Biographical Summary:

Martha Raymer Weaver Draper (1808-1848) was born July 8, 1808 at Pittstown, Raensalaer County, New York.

"Martha's first husband, [Edward Weaver,] died [on September 2, 1842], so later [January 28, 1846] she married a friend of the family, William Draper Jr., a widower.

When the mob threatened to burn her home unless she denied the religion she told them to go ahead. She loaded one wagon with her essential belongings and began the journey West. When the Mormon Battalion was formed her sons, Miles Weaver 20, Franklin Weaver 18, and daughter Martha Elizabeth Weaver 9, volunteered to go. It was very hard on Martha because she was a widow.

Martha's husband had been a farmer so she had to struggle to help reap a living from the earth.

In her life she lived in four states, from New York to Iowa. The mother of eight children from her first husband, and one child from her second husband, she lost her life shortly after the last child was born. [Her last child, Almon Draper was born on October 28, 1846. Martha died in 1847 in some accounts (Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude, Page 842), or on October 28, 1848 by other accounts.]

When Martha Raymer Weaver entered into the life of William Draper, Jr., his whole outlook was changed. She was his first plural wife and the circumstances under which he married her and a total of seven [by some counts, eight] wives arouses the interest of his descendants as well as that of outsiders. It is likely that William himself marveled, in retrospect, how fate made him the ancestor of one of the largest families in America.

The circumstances surrounding his entry into polygamy seem to indicate that a chain of chance circumstances, rather than a studied course, led him into taking more than one wife. In the story of his life, written near the end of his career, he did not mention the name of any wife, nor did he speak of the doctrine of plural marriage. There were, however, circumstances and events preceding each of his marriages from which it might be thought that he was motivated in part at least by social necessity.

There is evidence which tends to show that William knew nothing of the doctrine of plural marriage until 1845. Indeed, not many people knew much about it until after that time...."

"...William returned again to Nauvoo as per instructions where he received his endowments on the 28th day of January 1846, after which he again returned to Pike County and made final preparations to head for the Rocky Mountains with his family. He was all ready in the spring. He recorded the commencement of the trip as follows:

'I left Pike County about the 20th of April, 1846, and went to Nauvoo where I added to the family and to the outfit, and on the first day of May crossed the Mississippi and took the trail to follow those who had started before us through a wilderness where no white inhabitants lived.' --quoted from his own autobiography.

William recorded nothing at all about taking an an extra wife at Nauvoo, but other family records disclose that a lady named Martha Weaver bore him a son at Kanesville, Iowa, October 28, 1846. This event gives meaning to the simple but somewhat ambiguous statement that he "added to the family and to the outfit" upon arriving at Nauvoo. It could only mean that he married Martha Weaver either in October 1845, when he went up to Nauvoo to get instructions from the Church leaders as to his future movements, or in January, 1846, when he returned there for his endowments.

It is now clear that he picked Martha up at Nauvoo in April, 1846, and as she was a widow and had four daughters, Martha Elizabeth Weaver, Marinda Bridget Weaver, Julia Cecelia Weaver, and Carrie Weaver, and sons, Horace Racio Weaver, Miles Weaver, Franklin Weaver, and Gilbert Weaver, and it was necessary for William to procure another outfit to transport them on the long journey. The fact that he chose to marry an encumbered widow has significance. He could have had two good reasons for doing so. First, because she was an encumbered widow and needed his help; and second because he may have owed her a debt of gratitude. She was the widow of Edward Weaver in whose home he had received unusual kindness as he was making his way from Kirtland to Far West, Missouri, in 1838. ...It was no doubt easier for William's first wife, Elizabeth Staker Weave, to accept Martha into the family, for she, too, was helped greatly when the Weavers took all the burden of nursing her husband back to health....

Even before William reached the Missouri RIver he learned that 500 able-bodied Latter-day Saint men wete being recruited to join the U.S. Army in the war against Mexico. He reached the point of recruitment in time to see the battalion, including his sister, Phebe Draper Palmer Brown, march away, leaving a depressing void in the families left behind. William was called upon to fill that void as best he could until the departing heads of families should be released from their military duties.:

' Something had to be done for the women and children who were left unprovided for and without protection in an Indian country...The country was divided into districts or wards and a bishop appointed for each ward. It fell to my lot to be one of them, and when I looked up those that were in my district, I found there were thirty-three families.'

This was at Council Point in Iowa where William served for three years until the members of the battalion returned to their families. Not only did these families have to be clothed and fed, but they had to have houses built for them. All of this was supervised by William Draper Jr., and in addition, he acquired a good farm for himself and he was soon comfortably situated.

On January 28, 1846 William Draper acted as proxy for Martha's sealing to her deceased husband, Edward Weaver.

On October 28, 1846, his new wife bore him a son whom they christened Almon Draper. But unfortunately the mother died in 1848, leaving her daughter, Carrie Weaver, by her former husband, Edward Weaver, and her young son Almon. Family records, still preserved by her descendants, show that her maiden name was Raymer and that she was born at Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York on July 8, 1808. She was only forty years old when she died and her death was a serious loss to her nine year old daughter and her two year old son. They were raised by another of William's wives, Mary Ann Manhardt and successfully reared both to full maturity."

She died in 1847 or October 28, 1848 at Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa

SOURCE: Draper, Delbert M.; The Mormon Drapers; 1958, pages129-132, 135.

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1. D: I537531067
2. Name: Martha RAYMER
3. Given Name: Martha
4. Surname: Raymer
5. Sex: F
6. Birth: 8 Jul 1804 1
7. Death: 1848 in Council Bluffs,Pottawattamie,IA 2
8. Immigration: Bet 1845 and 1848 Council Bluffs,Pottawattamie,IA 2
9. Event: Raimer Unknown 3
10. Change Date: 5 Jun 2003 2

Marriage 1 Edward G. WEAVER b: 15 Aug 1799 in Saratoga,Saratoga,NY

   * Married: Bet 1820 and 1830 4 2

Children

  1. Has Children Horace Racio WEAVER b: 12 Oct 1822

2. Has Children Miles WEAVER b: 22 May 1826 in Scio,Allegany,NY
3. Has Children Franklin WEAVER b: 29 May 1828
4. Has Children Gilbert WEAVER b: 2 Mar 1835 in Conneaut,PA
5. Has Children Martha Elizabeth WEAVER b: 24 Feb 1837
6. Has Children Miranda WEAVER b: 3 Mar 1838
7. Has Children Cecelia WEAVER
Sources:

  1. Title: Census 1830, Dryden, Tompkins, NY

Publication: National Archives and Records Administration (Ancestry.com)
Repository:
Name: Internet
Page: p. 7 of 64. bet 1800 and 1810 surmised from census record.
2. Author: Lucius E. Weaver
Title: The Weaver Genealogy
Publication: The Du Bois Press. Rochester, New York. 1928.
Text: This book contains the history and genealogy of the Weaver family ofWales who settled in Massachusetts.
Note:
Personal copy on order
Repository:
Name: Internet
Page: p. 422.
3. Author: Lucius E. Weaver
Title: The Weaver Genealogy
Publication: The Du Bois Press. Rochester, New York. 1928.
Text: This book contains the history and genealogy of the Weaver family ofWales who settled in Massachusetts.
Note:
Personal copy on order
Repository:
Name: Internet
Page: p. 422
4. Title: Census 1830, Dryden, Tompkins, NY
Publication: National Archives and Records Administration (Ancestry.com)
Repository:
Name: Internet
Page: p. 7 of 64. Date surmised from census records.

Conflicting data as to where she died and where she is buried.
Died; Winter Quarters / Florence, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA
Buried: Mormon Pioneer Cemetery Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, EE. UU.

Daughter of Conrad Raymer and Elizabeth Ladow

Married Edward Weaver, 8 Jul 1820, Dryden, Tompkins, New York

Children - Horace Racio Weaver, Miles Weaver, Franklin Weaver, Ezekial Weaver, Gilbert Weaver, Martha Elizabeth Weaver, Miranda Bridget Weaver, Julia Cecelia Weaver

Married William Draper, 28 Jan 1846, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois

Son - Almon Draper

History - Martha Raymer was born July 8, 1804 at Pittstown, Rensselaer, New York. She married Edward Weaver and lived in Dryden, New York. Edward and family moved to a farm at Scio, New York, where Miles and Franklin were born, then moved to Porterville, New York, thence to Conneaut, Pennsylvania where their fourth son, Gilbert, was born. Here the family became interested in Mormonism and all except their oldest son joined the church. Edward and Martha Weaver were the first Weavers to accept the Gospel. There was a group of Mormons going to Nauvoo and the Edward Weaver family joined this group.

Edward Weaver was working on the Temple at Nauvoo when he contacted a bad cold. Pneumonia set in and he became worse until he died at 1845. Martha was left with seven children, Franklin, Miles, Horace, Gilbert, Martha Elizabeth, Miranda, and Cecelia. After Edward’s death, the mobs drove the Saints from Nauvoo. The leader of the mob was a large, burly and murderous demon. He told Martha if she would denounce Mormonism and deny that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, she would be unmolested and her home would not be burned. Her strength and faith in the gospel was very significant. She faced this wicked man with defiance and dignity, “You may burn it and be damned.” His answer was, “I’ll give you twenty minutes to get out.” With the help of her seven children, she got the most needful articles and threw them into the wagon. There was no time for packing. She had no team of horses. She had one ox and a cow. The boys yoked them together to the wagon and drove away, bidding farewell to their burning home. Martha remembered a nice fat pig, ready to kill at the back of the house, so she sent the boys back to see if it had been spared, but it was burned to a crisp. They joined a company of Saints who were on their way to Council Bluffs. Martha and her children found the way very hard going. On their way, she met a man by the name of William Draper Jr. He proposed marriage and with her large family she joined him in polygamy. She felt more secure having a husband for herself and a father for her children. She married William January 8, 1846 for time only, and he acted as proxy for her to be sealed to Edward Weaver in the Nauvoo Temple.

When they arrived in Winter Quarters the Mormon Battalion was calling for volunteers. Franklin and Miles were among the first 25 to enlist. Franklin was only 18 at the time, the younger of the two boys. Both served in Company A.

On July 13, 1846, as Franklin and Miles were leaving with their company to start the long trek to California they shed bitter tears at leaving their widowed mother, and brothers and sisters. The oldest brother, Horace, stayed to care for the family. The youngest brother, Gilbert, was not fourteen at the time, so Miles and Franklin felt that they should go, to represent the Weaver family in the ranks of the Battalion. Martha threw her arms around Franklin and begged him to watch over his brother Miles - “Guard him and support him, and promise me you’ll bring him back to me.” Miles’ health was far from robust and her anxious heart was wrung at seeing her two boys start off for unknown country. The parting was hard, as she had also suffered the loss of her husband at Nauvoo.

Her sons left and day after day, over the long weary miles, trudged the two brothers, cheering and helping one another along the way. After several weeks, Miles came down with a high fever. Franklin helped him along the line of march as best he could, giving him his own ration of water. Miles became weaker and weaker. Finally Jefferson Hunt, captain of the company, ordered Franklin to leave Miles. He was too weak to continue on, and they couldn’t hold up the whole company for one man, as they had to find a camp near water, by nightfall. Miles seemed unconscious as Franklin fixed a shelter for him with a blanket over some bushes. With a sad heart he went on with the others. That night, after camp was made and all were asleep, Franklin made his way back to his seriously ill brother. He found him weaker and could get no response from him. So he administered to Miles by the authority of the priesthood, and pleaded with the Lord for help, that his brother could be restored to health. He reminded the Lord of the promise he had made to his mother, that he would bring Miles back to her and beseeched the Lord to help him keep that promise. He had brought his portion of food with him, and after praying for his brother and massaging his limbs, Miles started to respond and near dawn he was able to sit up and take the food Franklin had brought. Strength returned hastily to Miles, and they were able to make it to camp, just as the company was awakening. With humble, grateful hearts, the two brothers were able to continue the long journey together, with thanks to their Heavenly Father who had heard and answered their prayers.

Franklin and Miles never saw their mother again, as she died before the Saints came West. In 1847 Martha gave birth to a baby boy, named Almon, in Kanesville, Iowa, (later called Council Bluffs). and died in childbirth. She was buried in Council Bluffs. Mr. Draper was preparing to go west with his family when she died, leaving him with her young baby and family. Her eldest son, Horace, was not a member of the Church and did not go west with them. ( Findagrave)

Possibly duplicate of Martha Ann Raymer